Hard Choice
by GMGirl
Summary: Numbuh Five has to decide the fate of not only Nigel Uno, but all of the Kids Next Door.


Numbuh Five had a decision to make. One that could alter the course of KND history. And all within only a few short months of becoming a field operative.

Oh, it wasn't some big emergency. It wasn't an attack from all of their enemies upon key KND locations across the world and the moonbase. There wasn't a threat of all the candy being turned into carrot sticks. It wasn't even a threat of a mandatory six o'clock bedtime.

There were no explosions or countdowns or anything dramatic like that.

It was one boy. Just one boy whose fate she held in her hands. A boy she knew had the potential to be the savior or downfall of the KND.

A boy whose name was Nigel Uno.

It hadn't been an official mission. It was a candy safari, really. She had been after the Lemon Drop of the Sourtastsis Tribe. However, someone had beaten her to the punch and gotten to it before her. Of course, Numbuh Five wasn't one to just back down, now was she?

Especially when she found out WHO had beaten her to the punch.

The Delightful Children from Down the Lane. Of course, Numbuh Five could have admitted defeat had it been someone worthy of such candy, but upon hearing that name, there was no way she could not try and steal it back.

She'd manage to sneak into their Mansion, reaching as far as the inner foyer through the vents when she heard it. The Order. Father was ordering his children to attack a specific person. A boy. One she would find was only a bit younger than her.

One not associated with the KND at all. It hadn't been a Numbuh, but a name. That had been what set off her alarm bells. He wasn't an operative, so why for all that was sugary did Father single him out?

She couldn't afford the chance of capture and had pulled back. She had to protect this boy. She had to get to him before the Delightful Children. She didn't have time to contact anyone else, needing to focus on finding out where Nigel Uno was. Luckily it hadn't been hard.

It was easy to find his house. A tree like that would be just perfect for a Tree House.

However, she only had a short time. She could see the Delightful Children coming and she had forgone knocking. Just find his room, getting in, and got out with a protesting kid.

"Hey, what's the big idea?"

"No time, kid! We gotta get you somewhere safe!"

She suspected it was the shock of what just happened that kept him silent while they ran. Because as soon as they got to a safe place...woo whee, he didn't know how to shut up.

"I told Dad we needed better security. Anyone would just walk into our house, especially with the holes that trees make. I just got kidnapped by a crazy girl, no problem! I mean, REALLY! I was fixing my hair and do you know how hard it is to achieve perfection?" Nigel ranted as he paced the floor of the KND bunker.

"While that is some totally cool hair, it's no good if the Delightful Children get ya," Numbuh Five said, making sure the security system was up and operational.

"The Delightful WHO? What are you talking about? What is this danger you keep talking about?" Nigel demanded.

"They're these kids who are total creeps and work for the most evil of evil adults. And they're after you," Numbuh Five explained.

"Why would they be after ME?" Nigel demanded.

"I dunno," Numbuh Five said, turning to face the kid. "You tell me."

"I don't even know what's going on," Nigel insisted.

He didn't. Numbuh Five would learn he really had no clue. Neither did she and she couldn't answer his questions. She just knew he was the target and anyone who Father wanted taken down was someone worth protecting.

It was just the WHY she hadn't understood. He wasn't an operative. He fussed too much about his hair and was high strung, but there wasn't anything obvious about him that sent off any real alarm bells. Nothing even came up with questioning. He didn't know anything about the KND even. Just thought it was a bunch of crazy kids acting like superheroes like most kids. Just rumors around the school.

Not to mention he had pretty good parents from the sound of it. Dorky and embarrassing who sometimes didn't listen, but otherwise as good as an adult can get. Even willing to give him extra allowance and dessert occasionally.

She didn't understand at all why Father wanted him. At least not then.

Of course, nothing could go right. The Delightful Children managed to find them, breaking through the defenses with one of their machines and she simply wasn't enough on her own. She was too inexperienced, she didn't have enough resources.

She just didn't have a chance.

They were captured.

And she saw something no kid should have to see. Inside the Mansion, in the basement were jail cells and torture chambers and just all sorts of creepy and terrifying things.

"No...no, what are you doing? Stop it! Let me go!" Nigel shouted, struggling against the mechanical claw that was slowly lowering him to a pit of some foul smelling liquid, yet with a hint of lemon. Never missing a chance to rub a failure into the KND's face, Numbuh Five was forced to watch.

She struggled against her own bonds, yelling for the Delightful Children to leave Nigel alone. He had nothing to do with the KND or Father. Why were they doing this?

And then...she learned why.

The liquid didn't hurt him. There wasn't a scratch on him. All they did was dip his head in and pulled him back out.

And that hair he was so proud of all fell out. Every single strand and when Nigel saw his reflection in that hateful concoction as the Delightful Children laughed...

Abby saw it. And suddenly she realized what that reason might have been.

After that, they were thrown into a cell, to await their fate.

"My hair...my beautiful hair...all gone...they took it all..." Nigel was curled up in a corner, rocking back and forth. Poor kid, he was in shock.

But Numbuh Five didn't have time for that. She had to find a way out. She looked all around the cell, but of course it was barren. They knew a KND operative could do a lot with just a tooth pick, let alone a bed.

But...she did have something. "Hey, kid, I need your glasses."

"Huh?" Nigel said, looking up.

"Your glasses. I need your glasses," Numbuh Five said, holding out her hand.

"Oh, no! Last time I went along with YOU, I ended up here!"

"This was what I was trying to prevent, kid!"

"And you did SUCH a great job!" Nigel hissed.

"Hey, this isn't my fault! This is the fault of those Delightful Dorks and their crazy Father! Now give me your glasses so we can get out of here," Numbuh Five said.

"...who are they to you?"

"Huh?"

"Who are the Delightful Children and Father? How did you know they were after me?" Nigel demanded.

"They're the enemies of all kids everywhere. As part of the Kids Next Door, it's part of Numbuh Five's job to take them down. I was on a candy safari and they beat me to my goal. I'm gonna guess they needed it for the goo they made, judging by the smell. I was trying to get it when I heard they were after ya," Numbuh Five explained. "Now give m-"

"I'll do it," Nigel said and suddenly, it was like a switch. The hysterics were gone as it seemed like Nigel decided something with her answer and stood up, taking off his glasses. In a jiffy, he had the lock picked with the handle and was placing the glasses back on his face. "I saw a vent two hallways that way when we were being dragged in."

It had been...amazing. Oh sure, there was a close call when the Delightful Children had discovered them, but Nigel was good at improvising. He'd used the various items in the hallway to fight them off and it was almost like he could handle them all by himself.

Then again, considering the rage he had behind him, that wouldn't have been too surprising. What had been was the level of control he managed to keep over himself, to keep the rage from controlling him and instead using it and just like he said, there was a vent.

That he managed to note that despite the distressing situation...

They'd managed to get out and Abby got Nigel home safe. They seemed to achieve their main goal, but she'd promise to keep an eye on him. She kept her promise, but it was more than his protection.

She remembered what she had seen. She remembered all too clearly. And with a bit of research, she'd found out why.

Benedict Uno. Monty Uno. Nigel Uno.

When Nigel had seen himself, when he had been briefly consumed with rage, she'd seen fire rage around him, then disappear again, steam coming from his head. The Delightful Children had been gloating too much to notice. He'd been too emotional to notice.

But she had seen it.

Nigel Uno had powers. The same mysterious powers of Father, passed down by blood. And somehow taking his hair had made them weak. She wouldn't pretend to understand how, but it seemed the only logical conclusion. Father had been dealing with a potential threat inside a child.

Now she had the same problem.

He was related to Father. He had the same potential power as Father. And he was good at fighting and controlling himself which made him all the more dangerous. Did she report him? Did she leave him alone and hope nothing came of it? Or...?

"I want to join the Kids Next Door," Nigel Uno said, standing on her doorstep, holding a pamphlet from the Museum. "What you guys do, it's simply amazing!" He said and she could see it in his eyes. A bright admiration, but a burning determination. "You stop people like Father and the Delightful Children, right? I want to help! No kid should have to go through their schemes again!"

He had taken the exam. She had thought if he passed, then that decide it. But the thing was, he didn't. She had volunteered to put in the tests to be scored and process so she'd know right away, but she only met disappointment. She was at a crossroads again. He had failed, so...what did she do?

Did she report him? Leave him alone? Or...?

He had the potential to be the best agent there ever was...or be the downfall of the entire Organization. She knew without a doubt this was the case should he join.

But she remembered that look he gave her when he made the declaration to join the KND.

She hacked into the computer and changed the score.

"Nigel Uno, don't ever lose that look. Numbuh Five really doesn't want to regret this."

* * *

So I was thinking of why the Delightful Children made Nigel bald, why Numbuh Five changed Nigel's test score, why Nigel was evil in W.H.I.T.E.H.O.U.S.E., and why Monty didn't have fire powers like his father and brother, and all these questions became this. By being bald, Nigel and Monty have an extra vent for that fire power that Father doesn't. Grandfather is just so evil with his memories the vent does no good. Sort of weird, but eh. It was fun to write.


End file.
